• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.43-52
• /
• 2014

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the disease severity of children suffering from gastroenteritis using different scales. The results are compared and subsequently classified on the basis of the type of virus causing the disease in order to investigate the differences in clinical characteristics and disease severity according to pathogen. Method: This study was conducted prospectively with patients under 5 years of age diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis and hospitalized at 9 medical institutions in 8 regions across the Republic of Korea. Disease severity was evaluated using the Vesikari Scale, the Clark Scale, and the modified Flores Scale. Fecal samples collected from patients were used to detect rotavirus and enteric adenovirus by enzyme immunoassay, and for RT-PCR of norovirus, astrovirus, and sapovirus. Results: There were a total of 214 patients with a male : female ratio of 1.58 : 1, of which 35 were under the age of 6 months (16.4%), 105 were aged 6-23 months (49.1%), and 74 were aged 24-59 months (34.5%). The rate of concordance between the Vesikari and Clark Scales was 0.521 (P<0.001) and, in severe cases, the Vesikari Scale was 60.7% and Clark Scale was 2.3%, indicating that the Clark Scale was stricter in the evaluation of severe cases. Conclusions: In children with gastroenteritis, there were differences in disease severity based on the scale used. Therefore, to achieve consistent results among researchers, either only a single scale or a measure of all scales should be used to determine disease severity.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.186-192
• /
• 2003

Purposes : Recently, acute gastroenteritis broke out among the neonates transferred from postpartum care centers located in Seoul, and Gyeounggi area. Thus, we researched the cause, progress and characters of the disease by analyzing the cases from 9 hospitals in Seoul and Gyeounggi area. Methods : We conducted retrospective study of 33 neonates transferred from postpartum care centers from October 2001 to July 2002 : we divided the neonates into 2 groups. The severe group had any of following 5 conditions : blood pH <7.20, respiratory difficulty, mechanical ventilation, shock, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. And the rest were classified into the moderate group. Results : The severe group was significantly more aged than the moderate group(P= 0.005). Weight loss was significantly severe in the severe group(P=0.0512). In blood gas analysis, bicarbonate was less in the severe group than the moderate group(P=0.032). In the virus examination, rotavirus was detected in 7 cases, and astrovirus was detected in 1 case. In the severe group, 4 neonates were dead. Conclusion : In acute gastroenteritis of neonates, early diagnosis and treatment are important. Thus, the legislation of postpartum care center is needed, and the medical specialists should be stationed in postpartum care center. We assume that the severe group had severe conditions because they were treated comparatively late. However, to find out the cause of the disease and to cope with it, the nationwide epidemiologic study on acute gastrenteritis of neonates is needed.